A mother inflicted fatal brain injuries on her son by shaking him and ‘striking his head against one or more hard surfaces’, a court as heard.
Eloddie Goncalves, 33, allegedly called 999 on the morning of August 19, 2020, and told the operator ‘my son is dead, he’s not moving’.
Paramedics rushed to her flat in Harlow, Essex, but twelve-week-old Malik Goncalves was already dead when they arrived.
‘While the flat was being examined, several empty bottles of wine were found both inside and outside in the communal gardens,’ Mr Khalil said.
He said the prosecution case is that Goncalves assaulted Malik ‘violently by shaking him and by striking his head against one or more hard surfaces, causing multiple fractures and most importantly traumatic brain injuries’.
He said that a social services safety plan, signed by Goncalves and Muritala Olaiya-Imam, who said at the time that he was the father, was in place.
Mr Khalil said Olaiya-Imam, 37, ‘said he was the father … although subsequent DNA tests have revealed he was not’.
The plan had stipulated that Goncalves, who has mental health issues, was not to drink alcohol, she was not to be left alone with her child and Olaiya-Imam was to contact police if Goncalves was under the influence of alcohol.
The plan was put in place on 25 June, 2020 following an incident the previous day when police were called to the flat, Mr Khalil said.
The 33-year-old, who has mental health issues, is also accused of assaulting an emergency worker who tried to help Malik.
Prosecutors say she was 1.5 times over the legal drink-drive limit and that empty bottles of wine were found strewn around the property.
After an incident less than two months earlier, she had agreed to a social services plan agreeing not to drink alcohol.
Police had been called to the flat after a neighbour saw her ‘handling (her child) in a rather unsafe manner, slurring her words, unsteady on her feet’.
The plan was also signed by Muritala Olaiya-Imam, 37, who described himself as Malik’s dad.
It further stipulated that Goncalves could not be left alone with the baby and that Olaiya-Imam had to contact police if she became under the influence of alcohol.
He arrived at the flat after emergency services arrived and ‘appeared to immediately go into shock’ when told of Malik’s death, Chelmsford Crown Court was told.
The couple were charged with cruelty to a child after ‘older injuries’ were found on Malik during post-mortem examinations.
Subsequent DNA tests have revealed Olaiya-Imam was not the boy’s father, Karim Khalil KC, prosecuting, said.
The 37-year-old is accused of allowing the death of a child by leaving Malik alone with his mum.
He ‘was or ought to have been aware of that risk’ and ;should have been there to protect’, Mr Khalil continued.
The couple are also charged with trying to pervert the course of justice after both their urine was found in a sample that the mother was asked to give in hospital shortly after Malik’s death.
Mr Khalil added: ‘We say their act to corrupt that sample was done to interfere with the police investigation’.
Analysis of Goncalves’ blood also found ‘constituents of cannabis’, the prosecutor added.
Both defendants deny the charges against them. The trial continues.
